webnovel Chapter 341 - 325: Attracting Hatred
Chapter 341 - 325: Attracting Hatred
Soul mentor Shan Lin’s voice was cold and severe. He clearly wasn’t joking. To Luo Xian, the soul mentor was a complete nobody, but this wasn’t something a mere soul mentor could meddle in. The order had obviously come down from the academy’s higher-ups.
If no one had intervened, what was done was done. But to act again after a warning would be to openly defy the Star Alliance. And the Star Alliance would crush anyone who did so like an ant, without the slightest mercy.
Luo Xian couldn’t figure it out. ’How could a measly little faction like the Holy Hall have ties to the higher-ups?’
But this was an insult he absolutely could not swallow. The Holy Hall Faction was a trivial matter; he could let them go. But even if it meant offending whoever was protecting them from on high, he *had* to kill Wang Meng.
Luo Yu’s head sat on Luo Xian’s desk. He was always the one bullying others; for someone to dare to walk all over him was unthinkable.
The Holy Hall Faction was waiting for the Demon Refining Faction’s all-out counterattack. But it seemed to be all thunder and no rain; for three consecutive days, there were no real attacks.
This left Wang Meng and the others, who had been fully prepared, waiting in vain. Still, they didn’t dare let their guard down. Knowing Luo Xian’s style, this matter was definitely not over.
It was at this time that Fan Hong returned. He had gone to call in some favors, hoping to put a stop to the Demon Refining Faction’s attacks on the Holy Hall. After all, the initial conflict hadn’t been a big deal. But just as his painstaking efforts were about to bear fruit, news arrived that Wang Meng had killed Luo Yu. The Demon Refining Faction then swore to annihilate the Holy Hall Faction. This put Fan Hong in a terrible position. He tried everything, but no one would help. Even stronger factions were unwilling to get involved over such a trivial matter.
But just when Fan Hong was at his wit’s end, another piece of news arrived. Someone had intervened. While it couldn’t completely stop the Demon Refining Faction, it prevented them from attacking the Holy Hall Faction wantonly. If they had to abide by the academy’s rules and issue a formal challenge, they’d have to go through the proper channels, which would not be nearly as easy.
As soon as Fan Hong heard the news, he had rushed back.
Seeing Fan Hong, Wang Meng couldn’t help but pull him into a big hug. It wasn’t just him who was changing; everyone was. The Fan Hong of today was no longer the guy who used to spend all his time chasing women. He could really come through in a pinch.
"From what you found out, which faction stepped in? Someone helped us out, so we should at least thank them."
Wang Meng said. ’No wonder the Demon Refining Faction didn’t attack immediately. I was wondering where they got so much patience.’
Fan Hong shook his head, a curious look on his face. "It wasn’t a faction. It’s not easy to make Luo Xian back down when he’s that furious. It seems someone from the academy administration stepped in and told Luo Xian to follow the rules, so he can’t launch an all-out assault."
Wang Meng understood immediately. ’Most likely, the Old Demon Dean came through for us.’
"Heh, looks like Luo Xian got too arrogant. This is a good thing; it’ll be much easier for us to handle him. By the way, I ran into your old man in the Slaughter Space. He’s incredibly powerful."
Wang Meng said.
Fan Hong chuckled. "My old man is always a bit slow on the uptake. Only now does he think to tell me to learn from you, saying you’re destined for greatness. The moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were a peerless genius!"
"Yeah, right. Keep laying it on thick," Wang Meng said, rolling his eyes.
"But seriously, my dad said you made a huge splash this time. It’s rare for a disciple still in the Cultivation Academy to make such waves in the Slaughter Space. You’re famous now."
"Sigh. A guy can’t even try to keep a low profile these days," Wang Meng said with a dramatic sigh. The two of them burst out laughing.
Wang Meng didn’t want to be high-profile, but he would never back down from a fight. If trouble came his way, then so be it. He would face whatever came.
"How do you plan to deal with Luo Xian? This guy is nothing like that piece of trash Qi Feiyu. Plus, as a faction leader, he’s bound to have some powerful Magical Artifacts. This isn’t just about pure strength anymore."
Fan Hong couldn’t help adding worriedly.
"It would be best if we could get some intel on him."
Wang Meng mused for a moment. During the Demon Cultivator siege, he had come to clearly understand the importance of Magical Artifacts. Even though he had completed the third stage of his Five Elements Technique, Luo Xian would likely be a formidable opponent. Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
"Luo Xian has been around for a long time, so there must be plenty of intel on him. Leave it to me. I’ll dig up everything, down to who his ancestors were eight generations back!"
Fan Hong rubbed his hands excitedly. "But are you confident you can take him?"
Wang Meng’s expression turned grave. "I’m not confident... That’s impossible!"
Before, it would have been impossible, but now he could definitely put up a fight. He had already dealt with a Demon Cultivator of over forty Layers. And while that Wu Shu was pretty pathetic and couldn’t compare to an expert from the Cultivation Academy, Wang Meng was still fifty percent confident. Plus, he had the Flame Encyclopedia as his ace in the hole.
The only shame was that the Flame Encyclopedia contained mostly large-scale destructive Magic, making it difficult to use to its full potential in a one-on-one Magical Combat.
"Everyone else should be careful for the time being. I have a feeling Luo Xian won’t let this go so easily."
Fan Hong suddenly added, remembering the methods of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect. ’We’re out in the open while our enemy is in the shadows; it’s impossible to guard against everything. Even with the Cultivation Academy’s warning, that’s just a temporary restraint. Who knows if that guy will do something desperate?’
That served as a wake-up call for Wang Meng. "A battle is inevitable sooner or later. Rather than wait for him to come for us, I might as well force the issue!"
Wang Meng said. ’That’s a good idea. That way, he won’t be focused on scheming against the others.’
Wang Meng’s decision was an exceptionally timely one.
Although Shan Lin had warned Luo Xian, Luo Xian didn’t know who was truly behind it. Most importantly, no matter how he looked at it, he found the situation unbearable. If he just quietly swallowed this loss, he could forget about maintaining his standing ever again.
’I must kill Wang Meng. I have to force him to accept a challenge from me, no matter the cost!’
As a Demon Cultivator, he was never short on cruel methods—especially not someone like Luo Xian.
Dong Gui and the others stood to the side, enduring Luo Xian’s fury. Dong Gui knew that if Luo Xian didn’t find an outlet for his rage, heaven only knew if he would end up taking it out on them.
But who could have predicted that the higher-ups would admonish him? For the past few days, Luo Xian’s gaze alone had been terrifying.
Suddenly, Luo Xian burst out laughing. "The path to heaven is open, yet you refuse to walk it; the gates of hell are closed, yet you insist on breaking in. Excellent, excellent!"
"Boss, what’s making you so happy?"
"Hmph. That brat Wang Meng has challenged me to a life-or-death duel in ten days!"
"Is that kid insane? Is he in that much of a hurry to die?"
"This is perfect! We can slice him into a thousand pieces!"
The men exchanged glances. To be honest, if not for the warning from the higher-ups, they would have crushed the Holy Hall Faction long ago.
"Boss, I hear they’ve got a couple of real lookers over there!"
A savage grin spread across Luo Xian’s face. "I will make them wish for death but deny them even that! That will be my revenge for my brother!"
Everyone voiced their enthusiastic agreement. With Luo Xian’s power, this was a sure thing.
"Boss, I heard that kid defeated Qi Feiyu from the Ten Thousand Demons Sect. That Qi Feiyu..."
"Who the hell is Qi Feiyu to be compared to our boss? That Wang Meng brat hasn’t even reached the Thirtieth Layer. The boss could crush him with one hand!"
Amidst the clamor, Luo Xian suddenly grew calm. To hold the leader’s seat in the Demon Refining Faction, one needed more than just strength; cunning was also essential. Otherwise, in the world of Demon Cultivators, he would have died countless times over by now.
’This Wang Meng is just some punk who’s barely broken twenty layers. What gives him the guts to challenge me?’
’A conspiracy?’
Then, Luo Xian smiled. He finally understood why his opponent was being so bold. ’Is he counting on me to lower my Elemental Power by ten layers?’
’How naive. Such petty rules are only meant to restrain the weak. They would never apply to someone like me. If it weren’t for Shan Lin’s warning, I would have flattened those insects long ago.’
Having figured out what he believed was the key, Luo Xian relaxed. First, he would eliminate Wang Meng. Then, after the dust settled, he wouldn’t spare a single person from the Holy Hall. ’I’ll make every last one of them accompany Luo Yu in death!’
With the life-or-death duel now set, Luo Xian calmed down completely. "Halt all other plans for now. Don’t create any unnecessary complications!"
"Yes, Boss!"
Everyone answered in unison. The Demon Refining Faction had over a hundred members, all of them Demon Cultivators. In a direct confrontation, Wang Meng and his people wouldn’t even leave a speck of dust behind.
Wang Meng’s move was to draw all the aggro, turning a passive situation into an active one. He was most worried about the Demon Refining Faction going after Ma Tian’Er and the others, especially if they pulled a nasty trick like the Ten Thousand Demons Sect had with Fan Hong.
The Demon Refining Faction might not have been a top-tier faction, but it wasn’t small, either. This upcoming battle drew a fair amount of attention, especially since it was a newly formed, minor faction that had dared to challenge them. It was unbelievably audacious.
In the Cultivation Academy, the Tier One Factions were, without a doubt, the three great ones: the Empress, the Dragon King, and the Celestial King. Their member limit was three hundred, so there was constant turnover within their ranks.
Normally, upon reaching Fifty Layers, students would automatically leave the academy and enter the Slaughter Space in the Great Yuan Realm. However, there were exceptions. For instance, these three leaders remained because the Star Alliance intended to recruit them, allowing them to cultivate even more powerful Cultivation Techniques within the academy. As for the full story, only those who reached their level would know the details.
Tier Two Factions had up to two hundred members.
Tier Three Factions had up to one hundred members.
Tier Four Factions had fewer than fifty members.
In the Cultivation Academy, a faction’s leader had to reach the required rank to gain permission to expand their numbers. Doing so otherwise was a violation of academy rules and would be severely punished.
For factions at the level of the three great ones, the culling process was extremely strict. Since they couldn’t expand their member cap, they could only improve the overall quality of their members. That was why, even though Ma Tian’Er had excellent aptitude, no one would have stopped her if she had truly wanted to leave her former faction. There were far too many people clamoring to get into one of the three great factions.
Little Flame wanted to escape Ma Tian’Er’s clutches, but the poor thing had no chance for now. Wang Meng’s power had advanced by leaps and bounds, and he was busy practicing Sword Techniques meant for those above the Thirtieth Layer, which he’d learned from the Array Technique teachings. After his advancement, while he still had his foundations from below the Thirtieth Layer, many things had changed.
His Five Elements Body could amplify his power many times over, but Wang Meng had discovered that the power of Magic also varied significantly between levels. This was especially true when cast by him. He could draw out the latent Five Elements essence within a spell to its absolute limit, and in some cases, even amplify its effects manifold. This was all thanks to fully utilizing the principle of generation and restriction among the Five Elements.
By now, Wang Meng was appreciating the benefits of the Five Elements Body more and more. The Cultivation Academy provided an excellent environment for comparison.